What are you building your B2B content around in 2014? For maximum effectiveness, your goal should be the inclusion of key insights, or so reports Corporate Visions. Its recent report shows that B2B marketing now demands insights - over 80% of all B2B content uses context-based facts.
According to its data, there are 4 types of insights: Anecdotal – those that reinforce key messages around best practices, lessons learned and new operating frameworks based on work in the field; Visionary – … [Read more...]

Ever sat back at your keyboard and day dreamed about how easy the other guy has it? In this case it doesn’t matter if you are the big company guy dreaming of the small start-up or vice versa, we all think the other guy has it easier. And it turns out they may have. As we wrap up our look at B2B Content Marketing, we’ll see that B2B Challenges vary by company size.
Yesterday we looked at the top frustrations overall faced by B2B Content Marketers, from the recent Content Marketing Institute … [Read more...]

How we spend our time and our degree of relevance are two key aspects of being an engaged human being. And it turns out B2B Content Marketers have the exact same problem, or at least they share these two problems with a number of others.
For the last few weeks we have been looking at a recent study from the Content Marketing Institute on how B2B Marketers look at Content Marketing. We’ve seen the strategies and the questions, so today we turn to the most fundamental of data – what are the … [Read more...]

To increase readership, we all attempt to tune our content to provide the maximum value to our readers. Continuing our look at the Content Marketing Institute’s 2014 B2B Content Marketing Trends – North America study, today we look at how B2B marketers tailor content to their company’s advantage.
The top 3 approaches to content development are to focus on Industry Trends (65% of users), Profiles of Individual Decision Makers (59%) and Company Characteristics (55%). These are logical, and help … [Read more...]

You can’t do it all, and when it comes to Content Marketing, the functions B2B Marketers outsource most often are writing and design. At least according to a recent Content Marketing Institute study titled the 2014 B2B Content Marketing Trends Report.
Nearly two-thirds of B2B Content marketers outsource writing, according to the report, and just over half, 54%, outsource design. Given the scarcity of good writing, as well as the quantity of good designers, these two skills leading the list is … [Read more...]

The old adage was actions speak louder than words. But that was the old adage. Today it's is all about the words, or so report Robbin Phillips and Greg Cordell in their new book The Passion Conversation.
The key finding from these two McKinsey researcher is that 50% of all business is driven by word of mouth. In an age where advertising dollars drive TV, Radio, Online, Social and even street signs trying to reach audiences either wide or so narrow that the CPM is sky high, the best … [Read more...]

What can a marketer do with consumer data? Once we’ve secured it, recent research by Transactis shows users are not only willing, but interested in you using the data for relationship building and maintenance. Surprised?
First, it is important that marketers share as much as possible about the kind of consumer data that you are tracking. While I have not seen specific statistics, most consumers are aware that website interaction, transaction records, loyalty programs, newsletter … [Read more...]

As you build your audience – whether online or in print – every interaction is a chance to build the reader’s trust in you and your brand. But it doesn’t happen automatically. Trust must be a constant work that you undertake with vigilance.
Think about it – when was the last time you took a recommendation from someone you don’t trust? And when someone says “trust me”, whether as a part of a question or as a declarative statement seeking to move a transaction forward, again the wise will run. … [Read more...]

Does reading your content create a smile - on you? Life is way to short to dread the work we are called to do, so as you practice the art and hard work of writing for response, be sure you are enjoying yourself.
We’re completing a series of 15 critical marketing tips for Internet and direct marketers. And #15 is to Have fun.
Years ago I worked as a disk jockey in radio, and one of the basic training points we learned was to smile as you spoke into the microphone. For some reason, a smile … [Read more...]

How much content do you read each day? No – really read? Far too often readers skim material quickly and make a decision to invest more time, or to click or flip to the next thing. We stuff our lives so full that unless a tweet grabs us in the first 40 characters, we’re on to the next one. It’s not about time, it’s about no time.
We’re in the midst of a series of 15 critical marketing tips for Internet and direct marketers. And #14 is Simplify the reader’s job by highlighting key ideas and … [Read more...]